Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth Reviews

Upon occasion I have been asked what my favorite Batman story is. I ask immediately afterwards if they mean favorite story involving Batman or favorite story about Batman. The answers are different. Favorite story involving Batman is The Killing Joke, but that is Joker's story not his. My favorite about Batman is Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.

So much has been written about this comic that honestly at this point reviewing it accomplishes nothing. For the most part people know what it is about and they already know if they love it or hate it (there seems to be no in-between). Rather than reviewing it in a traditional way, let me just break down five things that I love about it.

1. The art. Dear sweet Dave McKean the art!



It's beautiful. It's chaotic. It's symbolic. It's hard to follow. It's the perfect way to describe the book as a whole and I love it!

2. A completely psychological take on Batman. Here the villains are less people than ideas, horrible ideas and doubts in Batman's head. Those looking for Batman punching a villain in the face should look elsewhere. There are a few fights in it, but they are not the point and indeed often come off anti-climactic. It is the dialogue and the thought process one is supposed to go through which are the real battles here.

3. The backstory of Arkham Asylum. That is a horror tale in and of itself, and it contrasts with Batman's struggle so beautifully.

4. Grant Morrison's writing. From the dialogue to the symbolism of the characters, it's a joy to read. If you have a hard time figuring out how everything in it works (as most do including the writer it seems) check out the script included in most newer editions of the book. It's a fascinating read with Morrison's own notes.

5. A fully mature Batman story. Oh, I know that's been done plenty of times, but this one is essentially an R rated horror story in Batman form. It was one of the first to do that and it is still one of the best.

Will my review win people over? Probably not. As I said, the reputation of this book is so well known that you likely already have a few strong opinions on it. That said, if you've never heard of this book, or are considering it, I highly recommended it for anyone looking for a dark and psychological horror story involving superheroes and self doubt. For my money, it's never been done better... just don't go in expecting Batman to be his usual self. This is a very different sort of tale. 5/5 stars.